Ideal Reef Fish

[Fish Guy]

I like the Fu Manchu Lionfish. They stay small (6" max) and only exclude shrimps and little fish from your reef. Prolly best fish for small reefs would be clown gobies. They are tiny, colorful, and easily observed stuck to the glass.

 

[kipreefer]

I like clown fish i have two juv. saddle back clowns that are great towards my reef. I also like the cardnial fish they really only eat what is supended in the water column.

 

[Anonymous]

Green chromis and long nose hawks.

 

[Anonymous]

A lot of the gobies and blennies make pretty good additions as well.

Glenn

 

[Quiverfull]

What do you think is the ideal reef fish and why? Enclose pictures if you can.

 

[Anonymous]

Being partial to anemones,I would have to say the anemonefishes. They do not harm the reef,they are good community fish(as long as you are only keeping one clown or mated pair),and they will also take residence in LPS corals,hairy shrooms,and occasionally star polyps and xenia. Grammas,tangs,blennies,gobies,damsels(especially chromises),firefishes,and the clowns.

 

[Quiverfull]

Thanks for your reply. I have also found the Clowns to be a pretty good reef fish however, they can seem to become pretty territorial and chase some of the others around. I have a 3" tomato clown from Figi which is just beautiful but he is very aggressive. He has not take up in my large frogspawn (12" in diameter) but I am still hoping. I have had him/her for about a year. I am alittle hesitant to try to keep a true anemone in my reef.

 

[esmithiii]

I love my yellow tang.

E

 

[kipreefer]

Is there a place i can get yellow assersors have always been looking for them but LFS has never even heard of them.

 

[Jawsk2]

FFE has them for $30. I got one from them, and when I stuck him in the tank, he hid for almost three days. I figured he was laying dead or food for the hermits, and on the third day he popped up like nothing was wrong. He is a very cool fish.

 

[new reefer in michigan]

I like my black cap basset. It very colorfull, is not a fussy eater, produces litte waste and gets along with other fish great. I also love my yellow tang.

 

[JohnD]

Clownfish are great. I am partial to the plain ole false perc, myself. My second vote is for a tang - either a yellow or purple.

 

[Rorschach]

Yellow Assessor
Just got one, and better than I ever expected. A little pricey though at around $40 for a 2" fish.

 

[Anonymous]

Bristle worm

Seriously, I enjoyed having my Foxface. Too bad my Anemone enjoyed having him for lunch

 

[pathos]

tie: a pair of Banggai Cardinals,a lawnmower blenny or a mated pair of false percs. They are the best for their personality (not so much looks) and because they are functional, playing important roles in the reef ecosystem. Cardinals often mate in captivity, and the larvae can become a natural foodsource for the tank inhabitants. Cardinals also keep the pod population in check, which to that extent a Mandarin dragonet is a good choice as well, provided you have a thriving pod population to sustain them. Lawnmower blennies serve to keep the microalgaes in check and their vegetarian poop is a great foodsource for the DSB/snail/crab/brittlestar population. The clownfish feed their host, which IMHO in a captive reef should be some sort of LPS rather than an anemone. I prefer smaller, more peaceful reef fish. That's probably because I keep a 65 gallon.

 

[Quiverfull]

Great replies. It looks like the Clowns and the Tangs are in the lead. Anyone have a Maroon Clown? I have heard that they are the most aggressive of the clown family and that the Clarkii clowns are the most passive. I have a large tomato and a false percula (tank raised). I have a Yellow Tang which is my wife's favorite fish, three Hepatus Tangs and a Kole tang (all in 3 different tanks). I had a Sailfin which I loved but recently he died (5 years old) and I am not sure why. He was in with the 3 Hep tangs and they all got along well.

 

[Crazyman]

In my opinion the perfect reef fish would have to have great color and not harm or even bother any invert what so ever.
Hawks are out, as they perch on corals and usually find a favorite to bother. Clowns if not given a host will make one, so they are out. Gobies can drop sand on lower tier corals and make little dust storms with the sand, so they are out too. Lions eat ornamental shrimp as do larger pseudos, they're out.Grammas are awsome and so are damsles but they dont do any work for us in the tank. They just eat and poop, thanks but I dont need the nitrates. LOL. I would have to say tangs are the best, Zebrasomas that is. As they help us control algae and always seem as is they are helping us clean.(Foxfaces have poisonous spines;;they are OUT!)

 

[Jawsk2]

Earlier I posted about my yellow assessor, but the best fish in my reef tank would have to be my fridmani. Great color, interesting movement, eats well, and is super hardy. Do not confuse them with the strawberry pseudos, which have a completely different personality.

 

[Anonymous]

I have a Maroon Clownfish and I have never seen him be aggresive towards anything in the tank. He will eat his fill and then gather food for the anemone. I have never seen him become aggressive except when he is driving the cleaner shrimp or six line away from the anemone when it is eating. I have never really veiwed this as aggresion, I guess because I look at it as his job.

I have added a Citron Goby and he did not harass it, just the normal once over to see if it was food.

 

[wrasseman1]

IMO, the yellow assessor mentioned earlier is a perfect addition in reef. It doesn't bother anything and has very interesting swimming behaviors. Tangs are great as well. My favorites are the purple and kole (blue eye).